


Targeting Tennyson

by SuchaHag



Series: Rory Characters [7]
Category: xXx (Movies), xXx : The Return of Xander Cage
Genre: Driving, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Target Practice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-03-27 11:40:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13880100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuchaHag/pseuds/SuchaHag
Summary: Tennyson needs to learn to shoot and Xander knows exactly the woman to teach him.🎯





	1. Shots Fired

**Author's Note:**

> I had to do it, I like this character so much.  
> Takes place after the last scene.

Tennyson was slow to leave the church, allowing the crowd of attendees to disappear before making his way to the restored Mustang parked around the corner. A gift from Xander under the condition that he not “wreck it”. This thing of beauty? Never. He boosted cars when he felt the urge to practice his stunt driving skills. He slowed when he noticed a figure by the car. He sighed, he was a driver - not a fighter. His shoulder still ached from where he was shot while in Detroit. Not his finest hour he admitted to himself. He always had a knack for acting impulsively. He thought for a moment that for a time it may have been a quality that pulled him into the team in the first place, but not if he gets people killed. As he got closer, he noticed it was a petite woman -  probably a local housewife that was looking for her car in the crowded parking lot. He wished she wasn't so close to _his_ car though. She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. _Does she know me?_ He barely had time to react when a slim gun appeared in her hands. He heard the shrill whistle of the bullet over his head as he ducked. He looked behind him to see a movie poster, the star actor had a bullet hole right between the eyes. That was an impossible shot, only Adele could shoot like that! He whipped his head back around as he stood up - the woman was still there. “Are you insane woman?! You could have killed me!”

“If I wanted you dead, you would be,” she had the nerve to smile at him!

He walked, stomped actually, up to her. She didn't even flinch. She was barely over 5 foot tall. He bent down and his nose was inches from hers. “You have 30 seconds to explain, lass”

She was still smiling. “Oh, you're cute when you're mad!” she laughed, “I'm Xia, I'm here to help you.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. _Help him? How could this arrogant slip of a woman pos —_ “Xia? X…”

“Takes care of its own.” She winked,”Xander sent me to make sure you don't get your stupid ass shot again.”

Tennyson growled _stupid?_ _Impulsive, sure.. but stupid? Damn government brainwaves, they were sapping my intelligence._

“I hit a nerve, I'll refrain from insulting you until I see you at the range myself.”

“Range? I'm not going anywhere with you -”  just then, his secure phone rang. He sighed as he reached for it, not taking his eyes off this killer in miniature. “Yeah? Yeah... _sigh_ yeah." He hung up and rubbed his eyes, “All right lady, you win.” _Damn that Xander!_

She got into a black coupe and flashed him a pointed a look, “I'm sure you can keep up, follow me.” Her engine roared before he could even shut his door.

 _Fuck. that car is souped up!_ He smiled slightly, quickly fired up his car and squealed after her. Though her car had plenty of power. she drove like she was going to church. Tennyson grumbled and mentally urged her on, _come on! You can at least go 5 over the speed limit!!_ By the time they winded their way through a maze of buildings in the warehouse district, he was pounding on the steering wheel. That was the longest he ever went the speed limit and his damn skin was crawling. They pulled in front of an old building and an overhead door opened. The coupe went in and the Mustang followed. The door immediately closed behind them.

He hoped Xander knew what the hell he was doing.


	2. Motivation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tennyson takes a shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd - excuse the typos.

For the second time, Tennyson bent down to glare at Xia, “You drive like shite.”

She inched closer, “Maybe I need lessons.” Her blue eyes bored into him, a silent challenge for him to _dare_ retort. He stared at her for a moment and backed down grumbling.

“All right, let's just do this,” he said, defeated.

Her cocky grin turned into a warm smile, “First, let's start again, I'm Xia I'm here to help you stay alive in the event of a gunfight.”  
“Aye, and I'll teach you how to drive if I survive.” He let himself smile back.

“Tennyson, hey- can I call you Ten?” he nodded to her, “I'm going to make this fun, you'll see.” She pointed to a door, “The indoor range is just through there.” She started walking and he had no choice but to follow.

He was speechless, the range was state-of-the-art. There were three shooting lanes, a wall of weapons that ranged from a musket to a rocket launcher, a space that looked like a virtual simulation area and even an area of offices - he let out a low whistle

“I know you have shot a gun, I'm not going to insult you, we are going to start you nice and basic,” Xia said. He swallowed and followed her to the wall as she talked. She chose a large handgun, “This is a Glock 37. It's easy to shoot, easy to load, and a bigger size than the 19.” She sat him down at a table and then sat across from him. She demonstrated how to load the bullets into the magazine and then how to load the gun itself. She unloaded it and put it on the table, then nodded to him. The gun that looked large in her hands was dwarfed in his.

He fumbled a bit and bullets scattered onto the floor. “Sorry,” he grumbled, concentrating on getting the damn bullets back in the magazine.

He heard a chair push back and soon Xia was leaning over his shoulder, ”Ten, relax. Take your time. We have all day. For as many days as you need.” Her hands covered his as they maneuvered over the steel. Oh, they were soft. “Take your time,” she repeated.

He closed his eyes briefly and let out a small huff, “Aye, I will.” She lifted her hands, patted his shoulder and went back to her seat. They sat together until he was able to load the gun, the magazines and ready the gun fluidly. He put the gun down and smiled.

She looked up and met his eyes and smiled back, “You have friendly eyes.” He stared in shock, no one's ever complimented him, let alone a woman.

“Your eyes terrify me,” he answered.

She laughed, her ice blue eyes sparkled “They’ll grow on you, I promise.” She got up and motioned to the gun, “Ready to fire it?’

He got up, _here goes nothing_.

Soon he stood with his ear and eye protection on, staring at the target. “This seems silly, I won't have protection on in a real situation and do these paper bodies shoot back?”

“Oh don't you worry, Ten.  Let's get you comfortable firing that weapon of yours first.”

“Okay Xia, I'm in your hands,” he stepped up, aimed and squeezed the trigger. He heard a *ping*, but the target didn’t even flutter. He took a breath and fired again. *ping* _bloody hell._ One more shot was squeezed off - the target fluttered.

“Oh, I think you got a toe,” came a whisper in his ear. Her hand came up to rest on his forearm. “Put the gun down.” He sighed and did as he was told. Her hands remained on his arms, “Your arms are way too tense,” she rubbed them, “relax. You need to soften up a little bit.” He shook out his arms and then flexed his hands. Her hands being on him was not helping. “Okay, let's try again,” she said patiently. He steadied himself and then relaxed into his stance. He aimed and fired again.

“Body shot!” Xia cheered. Tennyson grinned and fired again - and missed. Then missed again. Xia stopped him again, “Put the gun down and look over there.” She pointed to the opposite wall “Read that poster.”

 _Fuck_ “Ummm,” he reached into his jacket he pulled out his glasses, “I just need them for reading.”

“That's complete bullshit, Tennyson!” Xia glared at him, “Put them on. Now.” Those blue eyes bored into him. He put them on and frowned at her. “Don't scowl at me. Now pick up that gun and shoot that damn target.”  He reluctantly turned and was half surprised to see the target and its lines clearly. _Dammit_. He fired - the paper fluttered. He fired again - the paper swayed again. After the third shot, he knew he was busted.

“Three body shots. Ten, those glasses stay on.” She pointed to his face.

“Fuck me!” he said under his breath.

“Only if you deserve it.” she retorted, “and the glasses stay on then, too.”

He spun around and stared at her. She didn’t look angry anymore. In fact, she looked like she wanted to laugh. “No need to make fun of me. I know I look ridiculous,” he grumbled.

At that outburst, she looked shocked, “Ridiculous? Frankly, I like them Ten.” She looked him in the eyes as best she could, “You are a very handsome man.” He snorted. She put up a hand, “Seriously. Now stop being childish about those glasses. If it bothers you so much, get contacts. But damn it, you need them. Sorry.” As she was talking, he regarded her. She had dark blonde hair with nearly red highlights. Those ice blue eyes were big, the irises were ringed in dark blue. They reminded him of the deep blue holes of the Bahamas. Shockingly, she seemed to be closer to his age than the kids he worked with on the team, that was a plus. She was over a foot shorter than him. _Petite_ , he mused. He would have to put her on a box to kiss her. _Kiss her? Holy shit - where did that come from?_ He blinked and refocused on what she was saying, _contacts good idea._

Xia called for a break. They went to the office area and again, Tennyson was speechless. There was a kitchen/break room, a large room with couches and a TV, and something that looked like sleeping quarters beyond that. “There's a workout room, hot tub & sauna beyond the locker rooms too.” Tennyson was impressed. It was like like an X Clubhouse.

“This seems like a good place to unwind and lay low.” she nodded to him in agreement and went to the refrigerator, pulled out cut vegetables and dip and put it on the table.

“Eat, and there is soda and water too.”

“No ale, no Scotch?”

“Not when you are shooting, pal.” He had to agree with that logic. He got a water and sat down. Xia soon followed, “After this, I want you to reload and try again.” she smiled, “Now that you can see - I expect body shots.”

“What's in it for me?” he replied.

“Besides knowing how to handle yourself in a gunfight?” she narrowed her eyes at him, “I think I can think of something.” They went back to the range area and Ten sat at the table to reload while Xia brought up the target and changed it out.

Soon he was back. He adjusted his glasses, put on his protection, shook out his arms and picked up his gun. He eyed the target and allowed his eyes to focus. He fired a shot. “Body shot!” Xia appeared next to him, “Try for two more.” She stepped back again. *bang* another one. *bang* oooh that was close, would it count? Xia stood next to him, “mmm the second one is on the border.” She turned, lifted on her toes and planted a brief kiss on his cheek. He froze and swallowed, “so can I try again?”

“Yes, you may.” He turned and took aim again. He relaxed and focused, trying to ignore the woman that was standing just off to his side. He fired off three shots, not bothering to inspect the target between them. He'll know soon enough how he did.  Xia stepped back up to him as he put the gun down.

“I like that you didn't worry about if you landed your shots properly in between. You can't search for wounds during a gunfight.” She looked at the target, “Three body shots, in a nice grouping too.” She turned to him, looking up and smiling, “Good job, Ten.” Before he could answer, she raised herself up on her toes again and pressed her lips against his. She moved against him, just slightly and before he could lean in, she pulled back.

“What was that? He asked not ungently.

“Since you asked to try again so quickly, I took a chance and assumed what your motivation was.” she looked at him again, suddenly unsure. “Did I assume correctly?”

“Aye,” he said, running his hand through his beard, “you did.”

 


	3. Deciding to Stay

The next hour was spent using the Glock with reloads in between. Xia varied the distance of the target at random. Chaste kisses were rewarded for different goals. As he was loading the gun for another round, Xia put her hand on his arm, “this is the last round, then we'll break and debrief.”

He turned, “I want to make the goal this time.” She nodded to him, waiting. “If I make all of the shots in this round,  _ I _ get to kiss  _ you _ .” 

Her eyes widened just a bit as her hand appeared in front of him, “deal.” They shook hands, he finished loading and went to take his place. The gun felt good in his hands now and he was not so tense. He began firing, not taking his eyes off the target even as it moved. He finished and put the gun down. He tried not to hold his breath as the target rolled up the lane to Xia’s waiting fingers. “Let's take it to the table to check,” she said as she walked to the couches. She sat down and laid the paper on the table. She motioned to Tennyson to sit next to her. They looked at the sheet, every shot hit its mark. “Well, I think I found your motivation,” she turned to find him staring at her, “you totally earned your reward.” She licked her lips and smiled. He took his hat off and put it on the table before turning to her. She scooted closer and he put his hand gently behind her head. His lips met hers softly at first, he added more pressure as his lips moved over hers. A barely detectable moan reached his ears and Xia’s lips twitched and slightly parted. Her hand came up to his shoulder and soon her fingers curled through the hair at the nape of his neck, that's when her head tilted and a tongue brushed the corners of his mouth. He moved with her and deepened the kiss. Soon their tongues were gliding together and he pulled her closer. Another moan escaped her throat as she gently pushed back. “Wow,” she whispered breathlessly. 

“Aye...wow.” he could not believe that happened. He was a little light headed and there was an uncomfortable strain in his pants. It's been a long time since he “made out” with a woman and that was a drunken night at the pub.

Xia smoothed the target out again, running her finger over the holes. “You are doing great,” she paused, “ Xander wants you to be comfortable shooting several guns and aiming with several types of scopes.” 

“Are we going to switch guns soon?”

“I was thinking about it,” she glanced down for a moment. “where are you staying?”

Tennyson paused, he planned on heading to Chicago in his Mustang after the service. He rubbed his beard, “I was going to leave town today so I don't have a place lined up yet.” He shrugged at her. 

“You are welcome to stay here. Other than the kitchen and this TV room, there are two bedroom suites with their own bathrooms.” She gestured to the living quarters.

He looked at her and then his hands, “that's ok with you?” 

“It's fine! I've stayed here alone and I've stayed here with a group louder than a frat party. I think having you for company would be very nice.” She looked up at him, cheeks pinking slightly. 

He smiled back, “I have a bag stowed in my Mustang, I'll just go get it then.” He got up and made his way to the door where the cars were. He's been in several dangerous situations before, so why was he so nervous about this one? He made his way to his car and put his forehead on the roof briefly. He couldn't deny it to himself, he was attracted to her. Really attracted to her. And he wasn't really sure if she was just flirting, being friendly, or attracted to him too. This was territory he was not used to, he sighed and retrieved his bag. He turned towards the door and ran his hand through his hair,  _ I'll let her take the lead  _ he determined. 

She smiled at him as he returned, “the rooms are in the back, my door is on the left.” He walked through the doorway and went to the door on the right. The room was large and comfortable. There was a king sized bed, large armoire, a flat screen TV on the wall, a recliner and desk. He threw his bag on the bed and made his way to the bathroom. It had a large walk-in shower with multiple heads and a double sink.  _ Nicer than my flat _ , he thought of his barely used studio in Chicago. He considered himself nomadic, crashing wherever he could, whether he was on assignment with X or finding work driving. He was always on the move and wondered if there would come the day that he would be able to stop.

He found Xia in the kitchen. “I just noticed how late in the day it is. Help me with dinner will you?” He nodded to her. It looked like she had something in the oven and was preparing a salad. 

“I'll finish the salad if you'd like, what's in the oven?”

She moved over and handed him the knife. “I premake many meals and keep them in the freezer. Tonight it's lasagna.” 

“Sounds good to me.” He looked down at the cucumber he was cutting, hiding a smile. This is the closest to a home cooked meal he's had in a long time. He might actually like staying here. They moved around the kitchen effortlessly. He could tell she was surprised that was not helpless. Soon, the salad was done and the table was set for two. They just needed the lasagna to finish baking.

They sat and ate together. Xia found that Tennyson was funny and very smart. His conspiracy theories were a bit left of center, but she found that if she didn't argue or ask questions the subject easily changed. They didn't talk much about their past either, he told her about his stunt work and she talked about nearly making it to the Olympics for Marksmanship. After dinner, he helped clear the table and started to wash the dishes. Xia sat and stared at his back.

“I feel those blue lasers on me, stop being shocked that I'm not useless in the kitchen.”

She got up and grabbed the towel to start drying, “Sorry Ten.” She bumped him gently.

He bumped her back, “it's okay.”

When they finished in the kitchen, they headed back to the range. There they cleaned up the targets and sat back at the table where Xia taught him how to properly clean the gun. They sat there for a bit doing their tasks and he let his mind wander.  _ How long is she going to want to stay here with me? She said for as long as it takes, but how long is that? Is she going to let me kiss her again? Is she going to kiss me again? Why do I keep thinking of kissing her - I should be concentrating on cleaning this gun. I should be concentrating on the other guns I'm going to shoot. But instead, I can't help I'm thinking about those lips I want to touch again. _ He sighed. She glanced up then and looked at him smiling,“after this, I'm taking a long shower and then I'm going to be vegging in front of the couch.”

“Sounds like a great idea, do you mind if I join you?” He caught himself and laughed, “watching TV I mean not to shower.” 

She laughed then and he joined her “Sure ten, you can join me on the couch”


	4. Netflix and ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to relax with a movie.

Later, they both sat on the couch as Xia scrolled through the movies available on the television. Her damp hair was in a messy bun and she smelled of vanilla. Tennyson was in a worn white T-shirt and soft pants. 

“What kind of movie do you like?” Xia questioned.

“Action, comedy... anything but that scary shit.”

“Chick flick?” She hovered over “Notting Hill”. 

“Is that the Julia Roberts movie?” He smiled, ”I can watch that.”

“Notting Hill it is, and I’ll make some popcorn too.” Xia got up and went to the kitchen after pressing a button on the remote. 

As the opening credits started, Tennyson scooted a little more to the center of the couch and put his feet up on the table.  _ Better to share the popcorn  _ he assured himself. He was nervous as he reminded himself not to be a lout and this was all going to be her lead.  If she led at all. Would she notice that he trimmed his beard, just a bit? Or that he actually used a tiny bit of that body spray that Nicks called a “Damn chick magnet.”? Sounds of popping came from the microwave and he looked over to the kitchen just time to see her bending down to find a bowl.  _ These pants were a big mistake _ he groaned inwardly. _ I need to chill the hell out or The Kraken will be out of control  _ he looked down,  _ don’t blow it for me, boy _ .  The microwave chimed and it brought him out of his reverie. Moments later, Xia came back into the room with a large bowl. She sat and put it between them on the couch.  After about a half-hour into the movie, the bowl was empty. Xia got up and and brought it to the kitchen. Tennyson stretched his arms up above his head and then laid his right arm along the back of the couch; he didn't think much of it, she was so short she probably wouldn't even notice. But he was curious now, would she go back to the other side of the couch? In the middle? Closer to him? Further away from him?  Just her being two feet away for the last half-hour was sending his brain into overdrive. She came back into the room and sat on the couch right next to him. They resumed watching the movie but all Tennyson could think of was she was  _ right _ there, barely touching him.  The movie got to the scene where Will and Anna were walking in the garden, and Tennyson heard Xia sigh. Soon after his heart leapt when he felt her lean up against him. “I love this part,” she said softly.  Seconds later, he dropped his arm and rested it gently on her shoulders. The moment he made contact, she snuggled into him even more, resting her head just above his chest. He relaxed and let his arm settle around her a little more securely. “This is nice,” she murmured.

“Aye, it is,” he could feel the vibration of her heart against his arm.  Was it beating as quickly as his? He was certain she could hear it. He dare not look down at her, he was determined to let her make the moves.   _ Fuck _ , he forgot how romantic this sodding movie was. He was trying to keep his imagination in check, but all he could see was himself and Xia in the movie. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't notice that she was saying his name.

“Ten...Ten? Tennyson? Tenny?” she was chuckling softly.

He looked down and hoped that she couldn't see the slight blush that he could feel on the tops of his cheeks, “Sorry, I was concentrating on the movie.”

“Were you?” She teased.  He looked in her eyes and was momentarily stunned. “I was sitting here wondering when you were going to kiss me again”

“I…”  he was speechless.  Here he was waiting for her to make the move and she was waiting for  _ him  _ to make a move, “I was waiting for you.” 

“Waiting for me? By the way we are sitting I would have to climb on top of you, not exactly a subtle move.”

At that admission he couldn't wait any longer, he dipped his head and pressed his lips against hers firmly.  She turned towards him at once and kissed him back. Within moments their mouths were open and their tongues were fighting for dominance. Her hands were on his face and her fingers tangled in his beard, combing through it from his chin up to his ears.  His arms were around her, he realized that she was now on her back on the couch and he was hovering above her. She broke the kiss briefly only to trail her tongue down the side of his neck. He was all but dizzy at this point, he couldn't remember the last time a woman was so eager to kiss him, to touch him even.  He began nibbling her earlobe, traveling up along the shell of her ear.

Her hands left his face and went to the hem of his t-shirt, where they slid underneath. Her fingers traveling up, burying them into his chest hair. She groaned then and pivoted her hips, grinding upwards into him. A heat started building throughout his body, a burning fuse was lit and he ground down onto her hip, making him moan into her hair. She moved her legs then.  Bringing her left leg up to the outside of his hip and her right still on the floor, she was open to him and he rested comfortably at the juncture of her legs. Nothing could be hidden with the pants he was wearing, she could feel every inch of him now pressing into her.

“Ohhhhh my” she panted, “that feels divine.” Her hips shifted again and he could feel her rub along his length. He shuddered the friction felt so good. 

“Xia, if we keep this up….”

“Then we'll have to change clothes before we go to sleep. Don’t you dare stop,” she thrust again and looked at him. Her light blue eyes were nearly sapphire with lust. He kissed her again, deeply as he brought his hands to her chest.  He rubbed his thumbs over the fabric covering her nipples and she groaned into his mouth, her leg now locked over his thigh. She ground up again and he could feel the heat through his pants. They were all but fucking each other through their clothes and it was the hottest thing he had ever experienced.  He thrust against her harder, the friction making his balls tighten. She groaned again and began sucking on his tongue in time with his thrusts. Suddenly a strong crash of pleasure roared through him and he cried out. His hips pounded down into Xia and soon he heard her cry out as they both pressed into each other.  His cock was pulsating, both layers of pants soaked. Xia was breathing heavily under him, legs twitching with the exertion of holding him to her. He lifted his chest slightly so not to crush her.

“Holy shit,” she panted, “that is the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.”

He struggled to catch his breath, but was able to get out “same.”  She wriggled a little and he pushed off of her and she scooted over and turned her side.  They lay there for several moments spooning on the couch while struggling to catch their breath.

Xia was stroking Tennyson’s arm lightly once they were able to compose themselves. “Ten, that was...wow. But we really ought to turn in.”

“I think I need another shower.” He laughed.

“Same,” she turned in his arms to face him, “see you in the morning?”

“Aye, see you in the morning,” he kissed her forehead before she got up.

“Good Night, Ten.” 

“Good night, Xia.” For the first time in a long time, it was.


	5. The Next Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Tennyson give in more to his attraction?

The next morning Tennyson stayed in bed after turning his alarm off and stared at the ceiling. He was replaying the night before in his head, that had never happened to him before in his adult life. Xia was something else -  not only could she shoot the ball sack off of a fly, but she was also funny, a damn good cook, and sexy as hell. He was remembering her mouth and what she did to his tongue when his pants slowly started to tent up. _For fuck’s sake_. He felt like a teenager, those years were long gone but she was stirring something in him that was a foreign feeling to him now.  He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and made his way into his bathroom so he could jump into the shower. While lathering up he decided that he could not be distracted by her during target practice, he has to act professional especially during this training. He slid his hand down over his ribs to his now hard shaft. He groaned as he stroked himself, leaning against the tiled wall of the shower. He gripped a bit harder and put some pressure to the tip of his cock. A wave of pleasure rippled through him and he closed his eyes remembering the heat that her body generated last night as he thrust against her. A low moan escaped his lips as he felt himself swell in his hand.  Sooner than he expected he was coming hard, the evidence quickly getting washed down the drain. He felt relief for a moment but he knew it wasn't going to last. He switched the water to cold and rinsed the soap and any remaining evidence of his self-abuse off of him.

When he walked into the kitchen, Xia turned and gave him a bright smile that nearly had him running back to his room. “I made coffee,” she said, handing him a cup.

“Thanks,” he grinned at her and tried to ignore how warm her fingers were.

“Do you take anything in it?”

“Milk and sugar,” he ignored her raised eyebrows and went to the refrigerator.

After sitting and drinking silently for a few minutes, they both started to talk at once, “Do you want something to-”

“Can I make you breakfast?” They laughed and he continued, “I can make scrambled eggs. If you like.”

“That would be great Tennyson, I would like that very much,” Xia smiled at him. _Fuck, those smiles can melt a man._ He started on the eggs while she made sausage links next to him. When they were done, he quickly set two places at the table and divided the eggs between the plates. Soon, the links followed. Over breakfast, they discussed the training for the day. He was going to use a new, larger pistol and then if time allowed a revolver. “I want you to get the feel of automatic, semi-automatic, double action and even single action guns,” she explained.

“How about a musket?” He smiled at her.

She looked at him seriously, “when we're done, you will be loading a musket blindfolded. I don't joke about guns.”

“I look forward to anything you can teach me. I don't want to be caught like I was again.” He shuddered again at the memory.

She briefly covered  his hand with her own, “you won't.”

 

After doing the dishes they headed to the range. After two hours they took a short break and reviewed his targets. “I don't think the issue you had before was handling,” Xia mused, “you are very good with your hands.” She looked down at the table, quickly hiding the blush blooming on her cheeks when she realized what she said.

Smiling, Tennyson asked her, “if my hands aren't the issue, what was the problem?”

She looked up and brought her hands to the sides of his face. Her fingers lightly tapped the temples of his glasses, “you can see.”

“Aye, I certainly can.”

They stared at each other for a few moments and she got up, nervously fussing with targets. “Break is over, let's fire the remaining magazines and clean those guns.”

They made their way back to the range. After a few rounds, Xia set up her own target in the lane next to his and then went and got the same type of gun ad the one he was using. “Time for a challenge, whoever gets the most headshots wins. You in?”

“What is at stake? You have a clear advantage.”

“If I win I choose the movie tonight.”

Tennyson turned and looked at her, “If I win I kiss you again.” He swallowed, unsure of her reaction. To his relief, she smiled at him and nodded. The targets were set and at her nod, they began firing. Xia fired in rapid succession and put her gun down. Tennyson was much slower but had a steady rhythm. He put his gun down and soon both targets rolled towards them on their tracks. Xia grabbed them and rolled them up while walking to the kitchen.

“We’ll determine a winner while we have lunch.”

“Sounds good to me,” Tennyson replied as he followed her.

They made sandwiches sat at the table. Xia was talking and all Tennyson could do was glance at the rolled up targets. Didn't she want to know? She had to know she was going to win and having her sit and make small talk while casually eating was killing him.

tAfterer lunch, Tennyson cleared the table and Xia smiled at him, “okay let's look at those targets.’

“Finally!” He sat and watched as she rolled out her target first. A tight grouping of shots were centered right between the eyes. Tennyson sighed, _of course._ It also reminded him that she was as deadly as they came.

“Well, that’s looking quite good,” she chuckled as she reached for his roll.  Tennyson held his breath as she smoothed the target across the table. “Now, let's see yours.”

The grouping of shots was not tight at all and two were dangerously close to the edge. He glanced at her, waiting for her verdict. “Looks as though you won also,” her voice was low. She started to turn toward him and continued to talk, “so it seems tonight I'll pick our movie and it looks like -”

She was cut off by his lips pressing into hers. It was a wild chance he was taking and his heart leapt when she responded and allowed him to deepen the kiss. Soon she was fully in his arms and they were in a tight embrace.   After a few moments, he tore himself away and he hugged her to his chest. He briefly rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes _fuck, I’m a goner._


End file.
